People in Saskatchewan will soon be able to recycle their old TVs and computers — but they'll pay a levy to replace them, in the latest bid to curb the problem of e-waste.

On Monday, the provincial government rolled out details of a new e-cycling program that starts Feb. 1, 2007. It's aimed at curbing electronic waste, or "e-waste" — a growing problem for Canadians, who threw out 67,000 tonnes of obsolete computers, cellphones and printers in 2005 alone.

People can start bringing their old computers and TVs to recycling centres starting Feb. 1, 2007.
(CBC)

Under Saskatchewan's program, people can drop off unwanted computers, printers, monitors and TVs at any of the 71 SARCAN recycling depots that currently handle cans and bottles.

Once the program begins, anybody who buys new computers or TVs will have to pay a special levy.

Levies from $5 for laptop to $45 for large TV

A desktop computer bundled with a monitor and printer will come with a $30 fee, while a computer tower by itself will have a $10 fee. The levy for laptops is $5.

For TVs, the size of the levy depends on the size of the TV and will range from $15 to $45.

Not all electronics items are being accepted as e-waste — cash registers, Game Boys and stereos are not included in the program.

The program is run by a non-profit industry group which has contracted SARCAN to handle the collection and recycling of the items.

Other moves to combat toxic e-waste

The obsolete electronics contain PVC plastics as well as lead, mercury, cadmium and other toxic substances that can cause health and environmental problems if they're dumped in landfills. However, they also contain metals, glass and plastic that can be recycled.

Saskatchewan isn't the only province to turn to recycling and environmental levies to deal with electronic waste.

In late November, communities across Manitoba called on the provincial government to pay the cost of shipping old electronics to a Winnipeg-based recycler.

Alberta was a pioneer in the field, creating the first provincial electronic recycling program in the country.

It began a program to recycle televisions, computers and related equipment in October 2004 and introduced recycling levies on these and other items in early 2005.